More Trouble Than She's Worth
by yoholindsayyoho
Summary: Jenna Harper and her twin brother Wyatt are in their final year. They've been through Hell and back, and now they just want to survive N.E.W.Ts, graduate, and move on to the adult world without too much drama. But with yet another new DADA professor and that Potter boy's habit of attracting trouble... Is there any hope of normality? (Set during OotP) (M for later chapters)
1. Chapter 1

_September 1, 1995_

As the Hogwarts Express chugged steadily across the countryside, Jenna Harper sat quietly, leaning against the cool glass of the window. Her twin brother Wyatt slept next to her, his wire-rimmed glasses slipping almost comically down his face as a small drip of spittle crept out from the corner of his mouth. On Jenna's lap, their elderly black Persian "Fiddlesticks" purred contentedly.

Year Seven. Their final year at Hogwarts. And then… Jenna felt her lip curl. _The adult world_.

Jenna had an apprenticeship waiting for her after graduation with the Healers at St. Mungo's, and Wyatt was being considered for an entry level position with the International Magical Trading Standards Body at the Ministry of Magic. They'd both worked their arses off to be successful, but that didn't stop Jenna from being… terrified. Being in school made her feel safe, and it allowed her a certain degree of freedom to do as she pleased without having to worry about any major responsibilities.

But after graduation… No more leisure time. No more long hours of uninterrupted reading. She'd have to learn to talk to people, to communicate properly. (She might even have to make eye contact. Yech.) She'd have to learn to adapt to changing situations. Hogwarts, for the most part, stayed relatively predictable in terms of what was expected of her and what she could expect from it. But what should she expect from the real world?

Wyatt didn't seem worried. He never did. He was always perfectly content to be wherever he was, and he'd never had difficulty in getting people to like him. Wyatt was always just _slightly_ above average. (He'd _almost_ been made a prefect in Year Five. He'd been _considered_ , but there were others who were better. And he'd heartily congratulated the ones who'd made it without a hint of bitterness.) He was friendly to everyone, and he was always reliable.

Wyatt was like that one neighbor everyone seemed to have: nice enough, but people were sort of vaguely aware of him. Some people didn't… _quite_ remember his name. Others weren't entirely sure _which_ House or Year he was in. They just knew that he was 1) always polite and 2) always there when he was needed.

Jenna, on the other hand…

She took an entirely different approach when it came to school: Don't speak unless it's necessary, stick to routine, and don't get distracted. Her main goal when it came to socialization was to not be noticed, and she was quite good at that. However, the few times people _did_ notice her, they might have described her as, at best, shy and, at worst, reclusive. The only person at school she really spoke to was Wyatt. If they were both in the library, she occasionally spoke to Roger Davies (Head Boy, Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team, and sort of sweet when he wasn't around his friends), although she usually avoided him because he often emitted a strong scent of hair gel. (She'd dated a Hufflepuff girl named Olivia, but they'd both been far too socially awkward to take care of each other emotionally. The sex had been phenomenal, though. Jenna had found she had a bit of a natural flair for certain... acts. But they'd had a massive blow up last Easter and hadn't so much as looked at each other afterwards.)

Both she and her brother shared the same general physical appearance: They both had curly brown hair, although Jenna's was longer and usually pulled back, and identical dark brown eyes and olive skin. They were also both much taller than their classmates, with Wyatt standing at 6'0 and Jenna at 5'10. However, despite their shared traits and genetic linkage (former womb-mate status!), they were really quite different.

Once the train had stopped at Hogsmeade station, Jenna gently shook her brother awake. Together, they wove through the crowds to snag one of the carriages. They passed by that troublemaker Harry Potter, and Jenna noticed that he was eyeing the thestrals in alarm. Jenna rolled her eyes. Was he _just_ now noticing them? Jesus.

 _Just don't screw up this last year for me, Potter, and we'll be fine,_ Jenna thought as she swung herself into a carriage after Wyatt.

Once they'd all been seated in the Great Hall, Jenna watched the Sorting with mild amusement. She remembered that feeling of apprehension of standing there, all of those eyes on you, as you waited for your name to be called. And then once it _was_ called, that agonizing walk up to the stool, that moment of sheer panic as you seemed to look into everyone's eyes at once as they tried to guess where you'd be going, that brief silence right before the Sorting Hat assigned you…

Jenna had tripped on the steps up to the stool. Her legs had been trembling so badly that she'd hardly been able to stand herself up. Luckily, though, Wyatt had been right behind her, and he'd helped her on. People had laughed, but she'd managed to keep from breaking down right then and there.

As the First Years shuffled their feet nervously as they waited their turn, Jenna let her eyes wander up to the High Table to scope out the staff. Since Moody was gone, there was bound to be a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor…

A-ha! There, a bright pink flower in the sea of dark robes. That was… a lot pink for one person.

She looked rather short, although it was hard to tell when she was sitting down. She was older, at least fifty-five. Her face was kind of… broad, quite wrinkled. Her mouth was wide and thin, painted in bright pink lipstick. Her eyes… Well, Jenna couldn't quite see them from afar. Her mousy brown hair was stiffly curled and topped by a black bow. Overall, the woman looked… kindly, sweet. She looked like someone who'd like to cuddle under a warm blanket on a rainy afternoon, and who would giggle through her fingers at dirty jokes while feigning a stern look at whoever it had come from.

Jenna felt her cheeks grow slightly warm. The woman wasn't really attractive by any means, but… something about her made Jenna's body tingle. She bit her lip, feeling slightly dazed.

She glanced at Wyatt, who was watching the Sorting with mild amusement. He nudged her.

"What do you think?" he whispered, pointing to a particularly smug-looking girl. "Slytherin?"

Jenna shrugged, then nodded towards the High Table. Wyatt looked over, nodding.

"I suppose that's the new Professor." He noted. "Doesn't really look like someone who'd teach Defense…" He frowned. "More like… etiquette, maybe? Ballroom dancing?" He smirked. "Looks a bit like a frog. Or a toad, maybe."

Jenna elbowed him in the side, looking up to see if she'd somehow heard him. She was gazing around at the students, a prim, polite smile on her pink lips.

"Jenna, does someone have a bit of a crush?" Wyatt teased gently. "Come on, you can tell me."

Her eyes gradually seemed to reach their spot. Jenna knew the woman wasn't really looking at _her_ , just in her _direction_ , but… she couldn't help but smile at her. When her smile widened, Jenna quickly looked away.

After the Sorting, Dumbledore introduced her as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Dolores Umbridge.

"Jenna Umbridge." Wyatt whispered once Dumbledore had begun his speech. Jenna's face went hot, and she punched Wyatt hard in the thigh, scowling.

Midway through Dumbledore's speech, Professor Umbridge made a very… strange sound.

" _Hem hem!_ "

She was… interrupting Dumbledore? What?

What the arse? Was that even allowed?

As she began her own speech, Jenna felt a tiny twinge of annoyance at this woman. She was speaking as though they were all toddlers, as though they were in need of spoon-feeding. The whole speech, in general, was rather… dull, Jenna noted. Professor Umbridge certainly seemed to enjoy the sound of her own voice. (It _was_ rather cute, as breathy and high-pitched as it was, although Jenna could see it getting irritating very quickly.)

Once she'd finished speaking and had taken her seat, the Great Hall seemed to fill with whispers and uncomfortable shuffling. What she'd basically said was the Ministry would be getting more hands-on at Hogwarts, and that she was the go-between.

Jenna looked at Wyatt.

"I have a feeling this woman may be more trouble than she's worth."


	2. Chapter 2

After the feast, Jenna and Wyatt followed their Housemates towards the Ravenclaw common room, whispering furiously between themselves.

"Admit it! You fancy her!" Wyatt hissed. "Just say it!"

"She's a professor!" Jenna rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile slightly at the thought of how Umbridge had smiled at her. "And she's old!"

"That's not what I asked." Wyatt dropped his arm casually around his sister. "Come on. Three little words."

"Fucking. Shut. Up." Jenna shrugged his arm away. Wyatt laughed.

"Wrong words!" he sang softly. "Come on, Jenna. Maybe you could have some sort of secret tryst! Jazz up your final year."

Jenna sighed.

"Wyatt."

Wyatt's eyes softened slightly.

"Come on. It's our last year. Try and shed just a little bit of that shell, eh?"

Jenna lowered her eyes.

"Fine." She muttered. "Yes."

"Yes… what?"

"Yes, I fancy her. A bit."

"A bit?"

" _Quite_ a bit." Jenna rolled her eyes. "But I haven't even _met_ her, technically. For all I know, she's some heinous bitch. And she's probably extremely heterosexual."

"How can you tell?"

"I just… get that feeling. And even if she wasn't… She seems like the type of person who doesn't break rules. She works for the fucking Ministry, for Circe's sake!" Jenna scowled at her brother. "Look, I am a seventeen year old, socially maladjusted student who has no idea how to function in the real world, and she is… she is entirely out of my league, so there's no point in even imagining anything. The bottom line is: _nothing is going to happen_. So… fucking drop it."

Wyatt sighed.

"Fine, fine. I'll drop it." He smirked. "So, I guess I shouldn't point out that she's just over there now."

Jenna looked where he had indicated and nearly jumped out of her skin. Indeed, there she was. Standing by the far wall and watching the students file by.

Wyatt paused.

"Hmm…"

Jenna went cold.

"Don't you dare." She warned him. He smiled.

"Now what _ever_ could you mean, sister dear?" he asked innocently. They both froze in the corridor, trying to stare each other down.

"Do _not_." Jenna repeated, pointing at him.

"Now, Jenna, what could you _possibly_ think I'm about to do?"

Wyatt looked back at Umbridge, who was now watching them. Jenna's eyes went wide. She took a step away from Wyatt.

"No." she whispered.

"Come on. Let's just say hi." Wyatt took her arm and gently pulled her towards Umbridge, Jenna pleading all the way in whispers.

"Please, Wyatt… Stop it… I just want to go to bed… Let me go… I can't do this…"

When they reached Umbridge, Wyatt gave her a friendly smile.

"Hello, Professor Umbridge!" he said genially. "I just wanted to say that I very much enjoyed your speech this evening."

Umbridge smiled sweetly.

"Why, thank you, Mr…"

"Harper, Professor. Wyatt Harper." He shook her hand. "And this is my sister Jenna."

Umbridge offered her hand to shake. Jenna took it timidly, praying that her hands weren't sweating, that her breath didn't smell…

She felt like such an oaf now that she was up close to this woman. Umbridge was… tiny, her head meeting right about at Jenna's shoulder.

She carefully took a step back so that she was standing behind Wyatt.

"Please excuse my sister, Professor." Wyatt chuckled good-naturedly. "She's a bit shy."

"Oh, that's perfectly alright, dear." Umbridge smiled at Jenna, her eyes lingering for a moment before turning to Wyatt.

"Well… we don't want to take up any more of your time, Professor." Wyatt smiled, sliding his arm around Jenna's shoulder and pulling her up next to him. "Just wanted to say hello."

"Ah, well… Hello, then!" Umbridge giggled. Jenna felt her knees threaten to melt. "I do hope I'll be seeing you in my class!"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, would we, Jenna?" Wyatt squeezed his sister's shoulders. She shook her head, staring at the floor.

"No, Professor." She whispered, just barely audible.

Umbridge suddenly rested her tiny hand on Jenna's arm.

"I shall look forward to it, then." She said gently. Jenna's cheeks flushed. Umbridge gave them a nod, and Wyatt gently steered his sister back onto their path.

They walked in silence for a moment.

Jenna's mind was racing.

What had Professor Umbridge meant? Did she mean she'd look forward to seeing _her_? Or _Wyatt_? Maybe she'd meant the both of them. Or perhaps she hadn't meant anything! What if she'd just said that as a formality, and didn't actually care one way or another if she saw them or not?

But she'd touched her arm. Did _that_ mean something? Or was that just something that Umbridge did? Maybe she was one of those people that just… touched.

"…and eventually I may even have enough bananas saved up to trade in for a goat, and then we can start making goat cheese. I hear the market's really spreading on goat products."

Jenna nodded vaguely, then frowned at Wyatt as they paused in front of the Ravenclaw door.

"Sorry?"

Wyatt laughed.

" _Someone's in love_!" he sang.

Jenna blushed, rolling her eyes. She turned to the knocker.

"Alright. Do your worst."


	3. Chapter 3

_Monday. September 2, 1995_

Ah, the first day of class. Always such an adventure.

Had the professors changed over the holiday? Had they gained weight? Lost weight? Had they grown peevish (or, if they were Snape, cheerful)? Would there be interesting material to cover?

Jenna smiled to herself as she waited for Wyatt to catch up with her. While Jenna was eager to get to class, Wyatt was, one might say, ambivalent. He couldn't quite decide… Was he thrilled beyond belief to kick off his last year as a student? Or was he prematurely bored, knowing that all they'd really be doing was N.E.W.T revision? He honestly couldn't tell.

Their schedules were identical, as they seemed to be every year. Today was Defense against the Dark Arts, followed by a break, then Charms, lunch, Herbology, double Transfiguration, and dinner.

Jenna had made a bit of an effort this morning to look nice, applying a bit of lip color and leaving her hair down. Wyatt hadn't said a word, but Jenna hadn't missed the tiny smirk he gave her when she checked her reflection in a window before they entered Umbridge's classroom.

Umbridge was already sitting at her desk. She smiled warmly at the twins.

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge." Wyatt said politely as he took his seat in the front. Jenna took up her position in the seat next to his, giving Umbridge a shy wave.

"Are the two of you in the same year?" Umbridge asked with a bit of a frown.

"Yes, Professor. We're twins." Wyatt gave her a slightly cheeky smile. "I'm the smart one, and Jenna's the pretty one."

Jenna's cheeks heated up, but she didn't say anything, keeping her eyes fixed on the desk.

"Oh, fine. Stop the sad face." Wyatt turned to her. "You can be the smart one today. I'll be the pretty one, how's that?"

"You _do_ have better bone structure." Jenna murmured, smiling slightly.

"I certainly do. And much better hair." Wyatt gave his hair a slightly exaggerated flip before turning back to Umbridge. "So, Professor Umbridge…"

"Yes, dear?"

"We've, er, both been reading through Mr. Slinkhard's book, and we were wondering… Is it just Defensive _theory_ that you'll be teaching this year?"

"Oh, yes." Umbridge smiled sweetly. "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations which, after all, is what school is all about! But I will be going over this a bit more once class has begun."

Wyatt nodded.

"That makes sense." He looked at Jenna. "Could be interesting, yeah? See it from not so much a practical standpoint as a theoretical one. Nice change in perspective."

"Quite right, Mr. Harper." Umbridge seemed pleased. "I do hope the rest of the class is as… open-minded as you are!"

Wyatt grinned, nudging Jenna.

"Did you hear that? I'm open-minded."

"You're certainly something, Wyatt." Jenna murmured, opening her textbook and attempting to ignore the heat on her cheeks. Was he seriously kissing up to her?

After class, as everyone was filing out…

" _Hem hem_! Mr. Harper?" Umbridge called. "A word, if you wouldn't mind?"

Jenna frowned at Wyatt, who shrugged slightly before turning and walking towards the professor. Jenna awkwardly shuffled out to the corridor, pressing her back against the wall and staring at the floor as her classmates passed by.

Roger Davies paused before her, hitching his bag further up on his shoulder.

"Hi, Jenna." He said brightly. "Didn't get to see you last night! Have a good holiday?"

"Oh. Um…" Jenna felt her jaw tighten. He'd never once spoken to her when they weren't in the library. He was always with his friends, and she was always with Wyatt. "…yes. You?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it was alright." He smiled. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down before. It… it looks nice."

"Oh. Thank you." She lowered her eyes, silently willing him to leave. He stayed a moment longer, swaying awkwardly in the silence.

"Alright. Well… I'll, er, see you around, I guess?" he finally said after a moment. "Where are you headed?"

"Study break."

"Yeah? Me, too. You, er, going to the library?"

"Maybe."

"…Oh. Alright. Well, that's where I'm headed, so…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll… see you when I see you."

"Yeah." Jenna nodded, not meeting his eyes. After a tense moment, he walked away.

Jenna hurriedly dug through her bag for a hairband. She rapidly fingercombed her hair into submission and tied it up, letting out a shaky breath before scrubbing the color from her lips with the sleeve of her robes. What was she thinking, changing her routine like this?

What did she hope to accomplish? Umbridge was a professor! Jenna leaned her head back against the wall, sighing. Professors didn't date students. Professors didn't even look at students that way. And even if they did… why would Umbridge look at _her_ of all people? She was so plain, so generic… as though whatever higher power had designed her got bored halfway through and had decided, "Whatever. This will do."

And why was Jenna so sure she even really _liked_ Umbridge, anyway? What was really so great about her? Umbridge was just a woman. A woman who wore too much pink, and talked like a little girl, and… and…

On shaking legs, Jenna walked alone towards the library. Let Wyatt catch up on his own. She couldn't think straight, she needed to focus on something concrete, something that wouldn't change.

As she walked into the library, she let out a slight sigh of content.

The musty smell of books, the dim lighting, the silence… This was good. This was safe.

She sat down at one of the tables near the back and started thumbing through her Charms book.

After a few minutes, Davies sat down across from her, his own Charms book open in front of him. He gave her a careful glance, his eyes darting to her hair for a moment.

"Are you alright?" His lips barely moved.

Jenna nodded, not sure how else to answer.

Davies reached over and gave her arm a soft squeeze.

"Hey." He said gently. "I know we don't talk much, but… if there's something wrong…"

"Please…" she whispered before she could stop herself. "I just need to stop thinking for a bit."

Davies nodded.

"Alright." He squeezed her arm again before moving his hand away. They both continued reading in silence.

When Wyatt finally sat down next to her, Jenna had almost forgotten about Umbridge.

"You left without me." he noted quietly, taking out his Charms book. "What gives?"

"Got tired of waiting." She didn't look up from her book. "What'd she want?"

Wyatt glanced at Davies, who quickly looked back down at his book as though he hadn't just been scowling at him.

"She, er, said she'd seen my resume at the Ministry. I guess she has a friend in the Trading Standards Body." He glanced awkwardly at his book. "She kind of… invited me for a cup of tea after dinner."

"She what?" Davies hissed. "Just casually?"

"Er… yeah…" Wyatt glanced at Jenna, whose face had tightened. "She's a professor, so… I kind of have to go, you know?"

Jenna nodded, her jaw clenched.

"I need the loo." She rose, shoved her book into her bag, and stalked out.

Wyatt and Davies watched her go, taken slightly aback.

"What the Hell is going on with her, mate?" Davies asked after a moment. "Is she alright?"

"She's… Jenna."


	4. Chapter 4

Wyatt made his way to Umbridge's office, alone and somewhat apprehensive. Jenna hadn't said a word to him since she'd left the library. She'd sat next to him in Charms, but she'd walked far ahead of him afterwards, not looking at him. During lunch, she'd mysteriously wandered off, and he hadn't seen her again until Herbology. That had been tense, as had Transfiguration, where she had, once again, sat next to him wordlessly, staring straight ahead unless she was taking notes. (Judging from the look McGonagall had shot them during class, Wyatt had a feeling she suspected something.) Jenna had altogether skipped dinner, leaving Wyatt on his own.

He felt a rush of panic as he approached Umbridge's door.

Was Jenna truly that upset about him having tea with Umbridge? It was just tea. She wanted to talk about his possible future at the Ministry. It wasn't like it was a date. It wasn't even really "casual", as Davies had put it. It was strictly professional, strictly a professor speaking to a graduating student about his career choice.

But was it worth it? If it truly upset Jenna this much… Was having a cup of tea and chatting about what was considered one of the dullest Ministry departments really worth alienating his sister?

He'd known Jenna his entire life. Why would she suddenly start acting this way over some… woman she'd hardly spoken to? A woman that she _had_ to know that Wyatt had no interest in. She was at least sixty, and was hardly what he would consider attractive. (He liked his women how he liked his coffee, after all: strong, black, and foreign… even better if one added a bit of firewhiskey.)

Or… perhaps it wasn't his meeting with Umbridge that had her upset… Perhaps it was about _him_? Wyatt tried to force himself to switch the perspective, to imagine that he was Jenna, and that she was him. It was their final year. They were both apprehensive, because they knew they'd have to rely a lot more on themselves than they'd had to in the past. If _Jenna_ had been meeting somebody tonight, a Senior Healer from St. Mungo's, perhaps… Well, perhaps he _would_ be a bit bothered by it. Because that would mean… that would mean that the end was coming closer, that they would soon have to face the realities of adulthood. And the Senior Healer would be the trigger. The Senior Healer would be the one, in Wyatt's mind, who was separating him from Jenna.

Throughout their entire lives, Jenna had never once gone this long without speaking to him. They were each other's lifelines, their tethers to reality. He helped her feel safe in a world where she perceived everything as threatening, and she helped him keep his focus on the big picture instead of panicking over every minute detail in life. They were a team.

Wyatt sighed.

Jenna was being silly. She had nothing to worry about.

Hesitantly, Wyatt knocked.

Everything would be fine.

Back in the Ravenclaw common room, Jenna was sitting sideways in one of the comfortable blue armchairs, her legs swung over one of the arms as her back rested against the other arm. Her Transfiguration book was resting against her knees as she tried to force herself to focus. She couldn't allow herself to get distracted. She had to study. She had to do well on her N.E. .

But all the same, her mind began to wander. Wyatt was meeting with Umbridge right at this very second. What were they talking about? What was he saying to her? Why had Umbridge invited Wyatt, but not _her_?

Jenna closed her eyes, leaning her head back over the arm of the chair.

Why was she worrying so much about this? She was attracted to Umbridge, sure, but… that was it. They weren't involved. Umbridge was a professor, and that was unethical. Professors didn't date students. And even if they did…

Jenna's stomach churned slightly. Was it really Umbridge she was concerned about, though? Or was she worried about Wyatt not being nearby? They'd always been a team, had always been together. Sure, they argued at times. They disagreed on a vast number of things. They were heading down different career paths, but… Jenna had assumed they'd still see each other every day. Was this how it would feel all the time after graduation? Would she constantly find herself worrying about her brother, about who he was talking to, what he was doing?

What if Umbridge said something to him that made him change? What if she convinced him to take different classes, or to move far away after graduation?

Jenna forced herself to breathe, to ease off.

 _He's my brother_. She thought to herself. _He can do as he likes, and I can do as I like. We're our own people._

Wyatt was sitting uncomfortably in a stiff, quilted pink armchair in Umbridge's office, sweat beading on his forehead as he clutched his cup of tea. Umbridge sat primly across from him, smiling widely. She sipped her tea delicately.

"So, from what I've heard about you, you're a very diligent student." She said sweetly. Wyatt smiled nervously.

"Thank you, Professor." He said modestly. "I do try my hardest."

"I'm sure you do, dear." She gestured to his tea. "Do drink up, won't you?"

Obediently, he took a sip of his tea.

"The Trade department certainly does appreciate wizards who work hard." She smiled. "And those who have such impeccable disciplinary records as yours. Not even a warning. How very impressive."

Wyatt couldn't help but frown. How did she know that? Had she… looked at his records?

"Well… I don't see the point in stepping out of line, Professor." He said carefully. "After all, we're here to learn and to better ourselves."

Umbridge looked pleased.

"Quite right you are, my dear! Quite right you are! But even so, I'm sure you might have felt just a teensy bit tempted to rebel, am I right?" She gave him a coy wink.

"W-well, no, Professor…" Wyatt nervously took another sip of his tea. "Jenna and I, we mostly stick to ourselves. We've got better things to do than waste our time on making trouble."

"Oh? What sort of things have you got to do? An intelligent, handsome young man like you must have so little free time." Umbridge cooed. "I appreciate you taking the time to come here, by the way."

Wyatt choked on his tea.

"I… I have loads of free time!" he said quickly, feeling his cheeks flush. "So much free time."

"I see…" Umbridge gave him a kind smile. "Well, nonetheless, I'm very glad you came."

Wyatt laughed, shifting uncomfortably under Umbridge's gaze.

"Yeah… it,er, it was a bit of a struggle."

Wyatt blinked, frowning. He wasn't… entirely sure why he'd said that.

Umbridge's smile widened.

"Oh? How so?"

"M-my sister." The words were forcing themselves out before he could stop them. "She got upset."

"Oh? Did she not want you to come?" Umbridge leaned forward, resting her hand gently on Wyatt's knee. He tensed out of reflex.

"No. I don't think so." He felt his skin crawl slightly as Umbridge's pudgy hand squeezed his knee. "I th-think she would've rathered it be her here."

Wyatt's jaw clenched as he realized what he'd said.

Umbridge's eyes widened in mild shock.

"Why do you think that?" she asked softly. Wyatt pressed his lips together in an attempt to keep the words in. "Mr. Harper? Why do you think your sister would have preferred to be here?"

"She's got a massive crush on you!" Wyatt's lips wouldn't cooperate with his brain. "She talked about you all last night, and at breakfast."

"About me?" Wyatt didn't miss the slight pinkish tinge her cheeks took on. "What… what sort of things did she say?"

"Please, Professor, she wouldn't want me to say…" Wyatt begged weakly, although he could feel the words trickling up his throat.

"Oh, come now. Just a teensy little bit of gossip won't hurt." She slid her hand off of his knee. "She _told_ you she had a, er, massive crush on me? What exactly did she say?"

Wyatt felt sick as the words poured out, as he recounted the conversation they'd had as they sat before the fire in the common room the previous night once everyone else had retired.

 _"Seriously, though, Jenna. If you think you might like her…"_

 _"Wyatt, she's a professor! I'm a student!"_

 _"Yeah, but you're of age! It could work out..."_

 _"I've just fucking met the woman, Wyatt! And I hardly said three words to her! I… I'm attracted to her, sure, but… I don't know her at all."_

 _"That's why you should get to know her! I can see it now… you two, slipping each other little love notes in the hallways, sneaking kisses in the broom closets… Ow! Stop pinching me, you bitch!"_

 _"Then stop fucking talking! Look, it's… it's just a crush. A tiny, miniscule crush. I'm sure it'll fade after a few classes, once… once I can associate her with something negative."_

 _"Negative? Are you purposely sabotaging yourself, Jenna?"_

 _"Wyatt…"_

 _"Jenna, you haven't had… any sort of feelings like this for anyone since Olivia. And that happened quickly, too, remember? You saw her, and it was just…"_

 _"Poof. That was it…"_

 _"Oh, Jenna, don't cry… Come now, just think… If you really let these feelings for Umbridge develop, and if she… if she develops feelings for you…"_

 _"But how do I know if she even…"_

"I see…" Umbridge cut him off, grinning. "You two are very close, aren't you? You must truly care about her."

"Sh-she's my sister." Wyatt struggled to keep his voice from shaking. "Of course I care."

"So, you must tell each other… everything, then?" Umbridge leaned back in her chair, quirking a brow. "Every little thing you do?"

"F-for the most part, Professor." Where the Hell was this going?

"I suppose the both of you relied on each other a lot for comfort… after your father disappeared."

Wyatt's eyes widened, his blood going cold.

"I'm… I'm sorry?" he whispered.

"Oh, I was speaking to one of my contacts from the Trading Standards Body last night, and he mentioned that he had looked into your background, into your… family…" Her saccharine grin made him queasy. "Your father, he wasn't a very nice man, was he? I suppose it was… convenient, wasn't it, when he just… didn't come home from work one night?"

Wyatt didn't answer. He couldn't speak. He could feel bile rising in his throat. There was no way she could know…

But the smile on her face told him otherwise.


	5. Chapter 5

"Jenna."

Jenna awoke with a start, immediately wincing as her tensed muscles protested. She'd fallen asleep in the armchair, her book still on her legs.

Someone had draped a blanket over her, though… Who had done that?

She looked up groggily at Wyatt as her eyes adjusted to the light. She smiled, although it faded almost immediately when she registered his face.

His skin was… ashen. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

Jenna sat up, immediately rising.

"What's happened, Wyatt?" She grabbed his shoulders, her heart racing. "What's wrong?"

"Jenna… Jenna, I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

Jenna pulled him into a tight hug, looking around the common room. A few of their housemates were still there, some of them looking up from their homework to see what was happening.

"Come on…"

Gently, she took his hand and led him out of the common room, out to the corridor. They sank down onto the floor, sitting cross-legged across from each other. Jenna was vaguely reminded of when they were children, sitting on the floor of the kitchen playing yarn games in this same pose.

"What's wrong, Wyatt?" Jenna whispered, touching his cheek. "What's happened? Is Mum alright?"

"Y-yeah." He gave a shaky nod. "S'nothing about her… Jenna… It's about Umbridge."

"What… what about her? Did she… Wyatt, did she do something to you?"

"She drugged me. I think. Put something in my tea."

"What? Wyatt, why would you think that?"

"She… she started asking about you. And… somehow…. Somehow she got me to tell her…"

"Tell her what? Come on, deep breath!" She forced him to look at her. "What did you tell her, Wyatt?"

"I told her how you feel, Jen… About what we talked about last night. I… I'm so sorry…"

Jenna felt her jaw tighten, but she forced herself to stay calm.

"It's alright. There's no harm done, there. She'll probably just… blow that off…"

"But you _know_ I wouldn't have told her willingly, Jenna! You must know that!"

"I know, Wyatt. I know. I'm… I'm not angry. It's alright."

Wyatt let out a choked sob, burying his face in his hands.

"That's not the worst of it!" His voice was muffled. "She started hinting around…"

Jenna yanked his hands away from his face.

"Hinting around about what?" she demanded.

"She knows. I don't know how, but she knows… she must…" His voice broke off into more anguished sobs.

"What does she know? Wyatt, breathe!" Jenna pushed the hair away from his eyes. "Talk to me!"

Wyatt's lips trembled as he spoke.

"She knows about Dad." He whispered.

Roger Davies slipped quietly out of the common room. He'd seen the Harper boy come in all upset. He'd seen Jenna take him outside.

He'd always had a bit of a soft spot for Jenna. Not a romantic one, but… he really cared about her. He'd been in the boat with her and her brother when they crossed the lake. Wyatt had been crying, whimpering. Jenna had wrapped her arm around him, reassuring him that everything would be alright, although Roger had seen her trembling with nervousness. He'd envied the closeness they'd shared, and over the years, he'd grown to resent how Wyatt seemed to take it for granted. Now Wyatt was well-adjusted and stable, and Jenna was still that quiet, trembling little girl in the boat.

He heard their hushed voices further down the corridor and tracked them down.

Wyatt's eyes were red and puffy, snot running from his nostrils. Jenna's jaw was tight as she listened to him speaking.

When Roger moved into sight, they both looked up at him.

"What's going on?" He directed the question at Jenna.

Jenna looked up at Davies, at a loss. Had he followed them?

"What's going on?" he repeated, kneeling down next to them. "Has something happened? Does he need to go to Pomfrey?"

"…No." Hesitantly, Jenna shook her head. "He just…" She bit her lip. Maybe she could just… _sort of_ tell him? Only tell him a little bit? "He just had tea with Umbridge."

"The new Defense bird?" Davies frowned. "What'd she say?" Wyatt started to speak, but Jenna cut him off.

"He thinks she drugged him." Jenna lowered her eyes. "Maybe put something in his tea."

"That's… Why d'you think that?" Davies stared at Wyatt. "Did she… like… did she, er, _touch_ you, or…"

"She put her hand on my knee." Wyatt whispered. "But then, she started asking all these questions… and I told her something… something I never would've told anyone." Angrily, he brushed his tears away. "And she knew things that… that she shouldn't have known…"

"What… what sort of things?" Davies hesitantly touched Wyatt's shoulder.

"Things we don't talk about." Jenna's voice took a hard edge. "Things that are best left alone."

Davies nodded.

"Alright…" He squeezed Wyatt's shoulder, but looked like he had more questions.

"He told her I have a crush on her!" she said quickly, hoping to distract him. He stared at her, smirking slightly.

"Well, that's… ridiculous. Why would he…" He trailed off when Jenna's cheeks went pink. "…Oh."

"I feel like a traitor." Wyatt whispered. "She… she _must've_ slipped me something."

"We should tell Dumbledore, then." Davies started to rise, but Jenna grabbed his arm, yanking him back down. "If…. If she _did_ slip you something, we need to report her!"

"And who is Dumbledore going to believe?" she hissed. "A trained Ministry employee? Or a couple of students?"

Davies lowered his eyes, nodding. It wasn't like they were Potter. Dumbledore would believe anything _he_ said.

"Look, just let us handle this, Davies." Jenna said softly. "I appreciate your concern. Really. But… We can handle this."

Davies hesitated, but finally gave a nod and stood back up.

"If you two need anything, though…" he said gently.

"We'll know who to come to." She smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded, walking back towards the common room.

Wyatt gave Jenna a weak smirk.

"I think he fancies you."

"I think you'd better shut your mouth. We've got bigger concerns right now."


	6. Chapter 6

_Monday. September 9, 1995_

Jenna sat next to her brother at the Ravenclaw table, glancing now and then up at the High Table. All of last week had been spent avoiding Umbridge as much as possible. She and Wyatt had steered clear of any places near the classroom or her office, and had taken great pains to walk as quickly as possible between classes, lest she be nearby. But they had her class again today.

She studied the woman, frowning. She looked so kind… so gentle. Despite what Wyatt said, Jenna still felt herself wanting to cuddle up with the older woman, wanting to bury her face in her soft-looking bosom and fall asleep. Would she really have drugged Wyatt? And how could she possibly know anything about…

"Oy. Jenna." Wyatt's voice cut off her train of thought as he slid his Daily Prophet in front of her, tapping the page. She looked down, frowning.

 _MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM_

 _DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED_

 _FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR_

"…What the arse?" Jenna muttered. "High Inquisitor?"

Wyatt gave her a weak grin.

"Nobody expects the Hogwarts Inquisition!"

Jenna stared at him.

" _How_ have you managed to convince girls to sleep with you?" she asked after a moment. Without waiting for a response, she began to read from the article.

" _In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…_ " She trailed off, her lips still moving as she continued to read silently.

High Inquisitor? What the arse did that mean?

" _The High Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch…_ " Jenna's eyes went wide. "What?"

"I guess she's going to be nitpicking the other professors, then." Wyatt said, frowning. "I suppose… if that's what the Ministry feels is wise…"

"Do you really think this is a good idea, though?"

"The Ministry wouldn't have appointed her if they thought she wouldn't work out…" Wyatt mused. "She seems to have some… questionable methods, but… If they _truly_ think that she'll improve the school…"

"Wyatt, the woman brought you to tears!" Jenna dropped her voice to a whisper. "And from what I've heard about Potter…"

"Potter… Potter is a magnet for trouble, Jen. You know that. Umbridge is a Ministry official. She's obviously got… clearance on all of this." Jenna caught the slight tinge of doubt in his voice. "When has the Ministry ever _really_ steered us wrong? Contrary to what those other rags might say… _the Quibbler_ , for example… The Ministry's always kept things pretty steady. They've never done anything to lead the community astray…" Wyatt's forehead wrinkled. "This seems… weird. But they know more than we do, Jen. We have to accept that they know what they're doing."

Jenna lowered her eyes, nodding. He had a point. The Ministry had been around for… the entire history of wizardkind, hadn't it? They had to have figured things out by now…

Once again, they got to Umbridge's classroom early. Once again, Umbridge was sitting at her desk.

She smiled as the twins came in and took their seats.

"Good morning, Mr. Harper." Her eyes slid to Jenna, her smile widening. " _Miss Harper._ "

Jenna's cheeks reddened as she hurriedly dug out her book.

"Um… congratulations on your new, er, position, Professor." Wyatt said politely, smiling.

"Oh, thank you, dear." She giggled. Despite her attempts at disliking this woman, Jenna felt her body grow slightly warm at the sound. "I do hope I'll live up to what the _Prophet's_ reported." Umbridge winked.

Jenna felt her stomach swoop and quickly looked down at the desk.

After another class of silent reading, Umbridge cleared her throat as the twins were heading towards the door.

" _Hem hem!_ Miss Harper, might I have a word?"

Jenna turned to Wyatt, wide-eyed.

His jaw tightened. He touched her shoulder.

"I will be right outside." He said quietly. "Right at the door."

Jenna nodded, hesitantly walking over to Umbridge's desk.

Once the other students had all filed out, the older woman closed the door with a flick of her wand.

"Now, then… Miss Harper…" Her voice was sweet, gentle. She smiled up at Jenna. "I… do apologize for not inviting you to join your brother and me for tea last week. I'm afraid that was strictly a… Ministry-related conversation. However, I'd like very much for us to have a nice little chat…" Her hand fluttered up to pat Jenna's cheek. "Just us girls. What do you say, hmm?"

"O-oh. Um…"

"Come by my office tonight. Seven o'clock? I'm administering a detention at five, but…" Umbridge's thumb traced Jenna's cheekbone. "That shouldn't last very long…"

"Um…"

"I'll see you tonight, then, Miss Harper." She ran her stubby fingers down Jenna's jaw. "I can hardly wait to have you sitting across from me." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "See these pretty brown eyes peering at me."

Jenna's body went hot, her heart thudding madly against her chest.

Umbridge smirked, stepping back from the now trembling girl.

"Are you in Professor Flitwick's N.E.W.T class?" she asked softly. Jenna nodded mutely. "Then I shall see you there, my dear. I'll be inspecting him today." She gave Jenna curt nod, dismissing her.

Jenna quickly strode from the room, feeling her blush spread from head to toe.

Wyatt grabbed her arm as soon as she emerged, wide-eyed.

"I couldn't hear anything she was saying." He said softly, leading her away from the classroom. "What did she want?"

"I'm to go to her office tonight." Jenna's cheeks were pink. "Seven o'clock."

"Dear Merlin, Jen…" His voice dropped to a whisper as they walked to the library. "What if she drugs you?"

"What is it you said last week, Wyatt?" She glanced at him. "She's a professor. I have to go." She lowered her eyes. "It would be rude otherwise."

"True… Still… Just be careful, alright? If she starts asking questions about Dad…"

"I'll change the subject. Like I always do." She sighed. "I'll run if I have to."

He smiled.

"That's my girl."

Once they'd settled in at the library to study, they both managed to force Umbridge from their minds as they focused on their Charms books.

However, once they had arrived to the Charms _classroom_ …

"Oh, bloody arse." Wyatt mouthed at Jenna once they'd sat down, both of them watching as Umbridge perched herself delicately in a chair in a corner of the room.

"Oh, right… She did mention that she'd be here…" Jenna hurriedly took out her book. "Well, this should be interesting…"


	7. Chapter 7

Jenna stared at the door to Umbridge's office. Her heart racing. It was almost seven. Should she knock? Or should she wait until the exact hour? Would that make her seem too eager?

Hesitantly, she raised her hand to knock, hating the way it trembled.

She held it half an inch away from the door, steeling herself. Just do it. Just knock…

"Oh, do come in, Miss Harper, and stop trembling so much!" Umbridge's voice called from the other side of the door. "I don't bite!"

Jenna sat on the edge of her seat, shifting nervously under Umbridge's gaze. Her hands were shaking too badly to drink her tea without spilling it down her front, so she'd carefully set the cup on an endtable. Umbridge studied her, smiling softly.

"You look positively terrified, dear…" she said after a moment, setting her tea down. "Surely, you must know I'm not going to hurt you."

Jenna bit her lip, thinking back to the cuts someone had seen on Potter's hand. Umbridge seemed to read her mind.

"Oh, darling." She leaned forward, resting her hand on Jenna's knee. "This isn't a detention. You aren't being punished. I know what a good girl you are… What a sweet, pretty girl you are…"

As Umbridge caressed her knee, Jenna forced herself to look around the office. Look at something… anything…

She studied the plates on the wall. All those wide-eyed, mewing little kittens. As much as she liked cats, those eyes were somewhat… unnerving.

"I have never seen so many cats in one room." She noted softly. Umbridge giggled.

"Oh, yes. I just _love_ little pussy cats." Her pink lips curled into a saccharine smile. "Do you like cats, Miss Harper? Hmm? Do you like kitties?"

"…Yes, Professor. I have a cat. Well… he's Wyatt's cat, too. His name is Fiddlesticks."

"Fiddlesticks? What a sweet name…" Umbridge's pudgy hand slid a tiny bit higher up Jenna's leg. "Did you bring him to school?"

"Yes, Professor… Um…" Jenna shifted slightly. "He's… probably out chasing rats right now. Or flirting with Mr. Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris."

"Flirting with her?" She smirked. "Bit of a romantic, is he?"

"He's just a dirty old man." Jenna laughed nervously. "I've tried telling him she's much too good for him, but he just won't listen. He's positively smitten."

"Ah, love." Umbridge sighed softly. "There are so few true romantics in the world. I often feel I may be one of the only ones left…" She smiled. "I suppose I've always adored the idea of… finding that one, special person to complete me. The idea of being totally, irrevocably devoted to someone, and to have them just as devoted to me…" She giggled. "Forgive me, dear. I don't mean to embarrass you."

"Oh… it's fine, Professor." Jenna smiled, her cheeks hot. "I… I completely agree with you. It's an attractive thought, that there might be someone out there that you can give your entire self to without worrying that they'll mistreat it."

Umbridge smiled.

"Do you know why I asked your brother here, Miss Harper?" she murmured, her hand continuing to rub Jenna's leg.

"T-to talk about the Ministry…" Jenna whispered, not sure if she wanted to shrink away from Umbridge or let her continue.

"That was simply an excuse, my dear. No… I wanted him here because I wanted to know more about you…" Her hand had now slid under Jenna's skirt, and was resting on her bare thigh. "I wanted to know all about his gorgeous little sister."

Jenna tensed slightly, her cheeks going hot. Would it… kill the mood to mention that she was five minutes older than Wyatt?

"I'm sure your brother's already told you…" she continued softly. "That he told me how you feel…"

"He says he thinks you drugged him." Jenna's voice trembled as she spoke. "That you put something in his tea."

"Oh, he's very much right, my dear. I did." She traced circular patterns on Jenna's thigh with her fingertips. Jenna felt her stomach clench. "I… suppose it wasn't very ethical of me… I just wanted him to tell me everything about you. I wanted to know what I'd have to do to make you _mine_." Umbridge rose, closing the distance between them quickly and straddling Jenna's lap. "I was all set to formulate this huge… complicated… plan… And then he said that you were already interested in me, I thought that, perhaps, that wouldn't be necessary…"

"Professor…"

"Call me Dolores, darling." The older woman murmured, resting her forehead on Jenna's. "If… if you're still interested, that is…" Her flirtatious confidence seemed to fade slightly. Jenna quickly slid her hands onto the woman's hips.

"Dolores…" she murmured. "You have no idea how interested I am."

Their lips met gently, sweetly. Jenna found herself slightly… disappointed, however. This woman, despite her age, clearly had… no idea how to snog properly. She was just… puckering. It was like kissing a child.

"Dolores," Jenna pulled back. "Have you ever kissed anyone before?"

"Well, once or twice…" The woman's cheeks went pink. "Why? Was that… it wasn't very good, was it?"

Jenna smirked.

"It was bloody sad, Dolores. But nothing a bit of practice won't solve."

Over the next couple of hours, Jenna forced herself to take control of the situation. When it came to being physical, she'd always let Olivia be the dominant one when they'd been dating. However, she'd picked up a thing or two from her ex-girlfriend, and it wasn't long before she was guiding Umbridge… no… _Dolores…_ to the plush pink loveseat by the window.

She didn't return to the common room until nearly eleven. By that time, Wyatt was nervously pacing the floor, checking his watch every few minutes.

When she came through the door smiling, he rolled his eyes. She practically floated over to him, her cheeks a vibrant pink.

"I'm about to get more detail than I want, aren't I?" he asked with a smirk. Jenna simply giggled, wrapping her arms around her waist.

He had no idea.


	8. Chapter 8

_Tuesday. September 10, 1995._

Jenna awoke with a smile on her lips, remembering the way Umbridge… no, _Dolores_ had kissed her the previous night. As she dressed, she thought back to how Dolores' fingers had slipped the elastic from her hair and tangled into her curls.

 _"Jenna, my little kitten… You are so beautiful, do you know that?"_

She recalled how her own hands had rested securely on Dolores' hips.

" _Dolores…"_

As she walked with Wyatt down to breakfast, she thought of the many tiny kisses Dolores had given her as she'd walked her to the door.

" _I want to see you again soon, Kitten. Will you come back to me?"_

" _Whenever you want me to… Dolly."_

That one last, lingering kiss before she'd opened the door…

" _Good night, my sweet little kitten. I hope your dreams are sweet... I know mine will be!"_

Oh, how sweet her dreams had been.

She glanced up at the High Table as she poured some cornflakes into a bowl. There was Dolores, sitting there with that sweet smile…

As if on cue, Dolores glanced at her. Her smile widened, and she looked up at the ceiling. Following the older woman's gaze, Jenna saw that the owls were approaching with the post.

A familiar-looking barn owl landed gracefully on Jenna's arm. Was that… was that one of the school's owls?

Carefully, very mindful of Wyatt's curious stare, Jenna untied the parchment from the owl's leg and scratched its head. It hooted almost affectionately before flying off once more.

"What's that?" Wyatt asked, looking over her shoulder. "Love note?"

"Back off, you arse." Jenna muttered, tucking the parchment into her bag.

She didn't get a chance to read it until after breakfast, when she'd ducked into the girl's bathroom to pee before class.

 _Kitten,_

 _I've got an engagement tonight at five, but I'd just love to see you afterwards. If you'll come by at about six, it should be through by then. Perhaps you could bring a change of clothes and stay the night with me? I would so enjoy cuddling with you, my sweet little kitten._

 _I can't wait to cover you in kisses!_

 _Dolly_

She showed Wyatt the note in the library during their study period, and his face grew stony.

"Jenna."

"Wyatt."

"You realize why she wants you to…"

"Yes."

"And you're comfortable with that?" He frowned. "You and Olivia didn't do anything like that until…"

"That was then. This is now." Jenna smiled shyly. Wyatt gave his sister a reluctant smile.

"Do I need to send a chaperone with you? I'm sure Davies wouldn't mind…"

"I swear to God, Wyatt…"

..

At six o'clock that evening, Jenna once again hesitated as she stared at the door. What if Dolores changed her mind?

The door opened, and Jenna immediately jumped back. Potter?

The boy stared at her for a minute. He looked… agonized.

"Hello." Jenna said awkwardly.

Potter nodded, quickly stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"H'lo." He mumbled, shuffling off.

What an odd boy.

"Is that my Kitten?" Jenna smiled when Dolores poked her head out. "Ah, yes. That _is_ my Kitten!"

Jenna giggled as Dolores took her hand.

"Hello." She said softly as the older woman tugged her into the office.

"Is that all you've got to say to me? Hello?" Dolores pouted, standing on her toes to kiss Jenna's cheek. "I've been pining for you all day, and that's all you've got to say? Just hello?"

Jenna smirked slightly, staring down at the fussy woman.

"Hello." She repeated, touching Dolores' cheek. This seemed to actually… annoy her.

"What? No 'how are you'? No 'I missed you'?"

Jenna blinked.

Dolores' cheeks grew pink. She was… seriously miffed about this?

"And now you're just staring at me? Have you forgotten how to- Mmph!"

Jenna cut the little woman off with a kiss, tangling her fingers into her stiff iron curls and pulling her close. Dolores' arms wrapped around Jenna's waist as a soft, almost blissful whimper escaped her lips.

"Haven't you ever heard of nonverbal communication?" Jenna murmured, trailing kisses down Dolores' neck. "I may not have been saying anything aloud, but…"

Dolores giggled, nudging Jenna backwards to a chair. As soon as Jenna eased herself down, Dolores was straddling her legs, her small, pudgy hands trembling slightly as they slid onto Jenna's breasts.

"Such a naughty kitty, aren't you?" Dolores breathed, gently toying with Jenna's nipples through her shirt. "Perhaps we ought to put you to bed right now, hmm?"

Jenna felt her cheeks growing hot as a ripple of uncertainty rang through her. This was moving entirely too quickly. Dolores' hands dropped from her breasts.

"Kitten, if… if you'd rather we didn't…" Dolores gave her a gentle smile, resting her forehead on Jenna's. "I got carried away, sweet one. I'm sorry."

"N-no, it's… it's fine. I've just…" Jenna gave an awkward laugh. "I've never really gone… this quickly before."

Dolores kissed Jenna's forehead.

"Then let's slow down a bit. We don't have to do anything but talk if that's what you want." She started to move off of Jenna's lap, but the young woman's arms tightened around her waist.

"Dolores, I… I just want you. Whatever… whatever you want me to do, I'll do it."

Dolores smiled widely.

"Perhaps, then… we ought to get a bit more comfortable."

..

"Oy. Harper."

Wyatt looked up from his book, frowning. Davies was striding over to the chair he was occupying.

"Yeah?" he asked a bit hesitantly.

Despite his joking around with Jenna, he really wasn't too fond of Davies. The boy was a prat. He was good-looking, and he was very aware of it. And he hung around Jenna far too much.

"Where's Jenna?"

"Don't know. Why?" He narrowed his eyes at Davies. "What d'you want with her?"

Davies plopped down in the chair across from him, looking apprehensive.

"I don't want to worry you, mate, but…"

"Don't _fucking_ call me 'mate'. I'm not your fucking mate."

Davies stared at Wyatt, frowning.

"…What's got your wand in a knot, Harper?"

"I don't like you, and I don't like you sniffing around my sister."

"Sniffing around… Harper, I'm not… what do you think… ugh…" Davies lowered his voice. "I'm not sniffing around her. I'm not interested in her."

"Really."

"Really! I like her, sure, but not… I don't fancy her. I just like her is all. And… I'm worried about her."

"Worried?" Wyatt frowned, sitting up straight. "Why? What'd you hear?"

"…Cho said she saw her headed to Umbridge's office earlier. I know Umbridge… she fucked with you, right? And with all the shit that's been going around about… you know… what else she's been doing to students…"

Wyatt grimaced. He'd heard some things, sure.

"I just want to make sure she's not going to get hurt, too." Davies didn't look at Wyatt. "I know we don't really get along. I don't like you either. But… we both care about Jenna, and…"

"She's fine, Davies." Wyatt sighed. "She's just going to talk about an assignment."

"Yeah, but… you were just going to have tea with her. And what happened to you?"

Wyatt nodded.

"Look, it… it's different. Jenna's…"

"You said Umbridge knows Jenna's got a crush on her, didn't you? What if she uses that against her somehow?"

"She's won't, Davies. Things are… things are complicated." Wyatt shook his head. "Look… Umbridge isn't going to hurt her."

"But how do you know?" Wyatt didn't answer. Davies' jaw clenched. "Do you just not care? She's your fucking sister, Harper!" When Wyatt still didn't respond, Davies' lips curled into a snarl. "Fine, then. You read your fucking book, study your fucking notes." Davies rose, scowling. "I'll wait for Jenna to come back. _I'll_ make sure she's alright. You don't worry your pretty little _fucking_ head about it."

Wyatt caught Davies' wrist in a vicelike grip. He forced himself not to look at the other students who were now watching them curiously as he got to his feet.

"Davies. Outside. _Now_."


	9. Chapter 9

Once they were safely away from the common room, Wyatt rounded on Davies.

"Look, you just keep your snub nose out of our fucking business, Davies!"

"What the fuck are you on about, Harper? If your sister's in danger-"

"She's not in fucking danger, you prick!" Wyatt's hands were trembling. He tried to force himself to remain calm. "Look, you… care about Jenna, right?"

"I just fucking said that!"

"You care about her. You would want her to be happy."

"Yeah…"

"Even if it means she's… getting involved in something you don't approve of? Something that could end badly?"

"Harper, what the fuck are you on about? What's Umbridge got her doing for her?"

"It… it's not what Jenna's doing _for_ her… It's what they're doing... er… _together_."

"What do you…" Davies trailed off, the comprehension suddenly evident in his face. "Jenna and Umbridge…"

"That's why Umbridge drugged me. She wanted to know how she could, um… _woo_ Jenna. That's what she told Jenna last night."

"…Oh."

"Which is why you can't wait up for her tonight. Because she might not, er…"

"Be back tonight?"

"Exactly."

Wyatt didn't miss the slight shudder Davies gave.

"Right. That's…"

"Not gonna be able to look at her the same, right?"

"Jenna, I can deal with. Umbridge… I don't want to picture anything involving… ugh… no." His face paled. "No."

"Exactly. Look, I don't understand it, but Jenna's really into her. She was crazy for her from the moment she saw her. I will never comprehend it, but… I want her to be happy. She _deserves_ to be happy. And if this is what makes her happy… as long as it's not hurting her, then I don't want to interfere. Understand?"

"Yeah…" Davies nodded, though he still looked a bit shaken. "Yeah…"

Jenna laid on her side next to Dolores, who was flushed and panting. She watched the expressions shifting on the older woman's face: happiness, relief, shock, confusion…

Jenna could barely conceal her grin.

"Did you enjoy that, Dolly?" she murmured, gently brushing a stray curl out of her Dolores' face.

Dolores gave her a shaky smile.

"Just… just give me a moment…" she managed. "Dear Merlin… that was…"

Jenna giggled, tracing her fingers gently down Dolores' naked breasts.

"You are so… beautiful, Dolores." She murmured. Dolores laughed weakly.

"I wouldn't go that far, my dear, but thank you."

"You are. Truly." Jenna leaned down, gently pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I wouldn't lie to you, Dolores. You know that."

Dolores smiled softly, turning on her side to face Jenna.

"I know, my dear. I know you wouldn't lie to me." She ran her hand along Jenna's side, along the vague curve of her bare hip. "I know what a good girl you are."

"I want for you to be happy." Jenna agreed. "I think I would do anything for you, Dolores…"

"I know you would, love." Dolores leaned up to kiss her. "Because you're my little kitten, aren't you? My sweet little kitten."

Jenna purred, nuzzling Dolores' hair.

"You know, little kitten…" Dolores gently nudged her onto her back. "You did so _well_ at pleasuring me, but… I don't seem to recall you getting anything out of it."

"I got to see you enjoy it." Jenna smiled nervously as Dolores straddled her hips. She ran a trembling hand down the older woman's cheek. "That's all I wanted…"

"Oh, but I want the same thing, my dear." Dolores snatched her wand up from the bedside table. "Although, I'm afraid I'm not as… skilled as you are with, er, these things. I've not had as much practice."

Jenna nervously glanced at Dolores' wand.

"Should I, er, be concerned about where you're planning on putting that?"

Dolores giggled.

"Oh, don't you fret, my dear. It's staying out here." She ran the tip along Jenna's stomach. "I do, however, have a special little trick to show you…"

She began murmuring something under her breath so that Jenna couldn't hear it.

Suddenly, a very tiny tingling sensation began to pass through Jenna's body, rolling from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. Back and forth… back and forth…

Little by little, the tingling began to intensify.

As Dolores continued to chant the incantation, the sensation began to intensify, gathering like a knot between Jenna's thighs and radiating outwards. The tingling soon grew into ripples of pleasure, clouding Jenna's mind and letting every fragment of anxiety fade away.

All that Jenna knew was Dolores. All that she could see was the way Dolores was gazing down at her, smirking slightly as she watched the euphoria on the younger woman's face.

Jenna's hips began thrusting upwards against Dolores, trying to meet the invisible force that was pleasuring her. Dolores' voice grew stronger, more insistent. She slid her free hand under Jenna's neck, easing her to sit up slightly. Jenna pressed her face against Dolores' soft, doughy breasts, groaning.

"D-dolores!" she panted, desperately clinging to her. "Please…"

Dolores smirked, her chubby hand grabbing Jenna's hair and yanking her head back.

"Please…" Jenna whispered, the pleasure building up and making her feel like a shaken up bottle of soda needing to be opened. "Please, Dolores…"

Dolores' smile widened. She suddenly dipped down, kissing Jenna fiercely. As soon as the incantation was cut off, Jenna's pleasure spiked . The bottle was opened.

Jenna let out a cry, her nails digging into Dolores' skin as a wave of bliss shoved her backwards against the pillows.

Dolores stared down at her handiwork, smirking. Jenna was flushed and panting, the pleasure rapidly draining the energy from her.

"My little kitten's all worn out now." She noted softly, lying down next to Jenna, wrapping her short, chubby legs around Jenna's long, skinny ones. "Why don't you close those little eyes and just go to sleep? I'll be right here beside you."

Smiling weakly, Jenna nodded. She nestled her head against Dolores' neck, sighing contentedly as her eyes fluttered closed.

Umbridge brushed the curls away from Jenna's face as the young woman drifted off to sleep.

 _Stupid girl_. She thought, sneering slightly. _She's making this almost too easy._


	10. Chapter 10

_Wednesday. September 11, 1995._

"Wake up, my little kitten. Time to get to breakfast."

Jenna gave a groan of protest, burying her face in the pillow.

"Don'wanna…" she muttered.

But she opened her eyes anyway, turning to look up into Dolores' face. The older woman smiled widely, brushing a lock of hair out of Jenna's eyes.

"My pretty little kitten."

…

As Jenna dressed, Dolores eyed her intently. Jenna's skin grew warm as she thought of the night before, of the way she'd touched her…

"Are you really going to wear your hair up again, kitten?" Dolores asked softly. "You've got such pretty hair."

"I feel more comfortable with it up."

"Oh, but you look so pretty with it down." Dolores pouted. "Leave it down for me. It would make me so happy!"

"…Alright…" Jenna reluctantly tugged the band out of her hair, sliding it onto her wrist.

"Good girl." Dolores smiled. "Now, then, let's get going, shall we?"

…

Roger Davies bounced anxiously on his heels outside the Great Hall, his eyes searching anxiously for a sign of Jenna. He had a knot of panic in his gut.

Wyatt had come down into the common room without his usual pleasant smile. His body had been stiff, his jaw clenched. Roger had waved at him, but his presence didn't seem to register. Wyatt had kept walking, his eyes straight ahead. He'd gotten dressed, but just barely. His robes were thrown on haphazardly, as though he didn't know how to wear them, and his shoes were untied. His normally smoothed curls were in wild disarray.

"Oy. Harper." Roger had caught up with him, following him out of the common room, ignoring the curious stares from the others. "Oy!"

He'd grabbed Wyatt's arm. The tall boy had gone rigid, wheeling around to face him with wild panic in his eyes. Roger had immediately dropped his arm as though burned. He'd seen that same look in Wyatt's eyes in the boat their first year, the helpless, vulnerable panic of a lost child.

"Jen." Wyatt's lips had barely moved.

It had taken a second for Roger to figure it out.

"I'll find her." he'd said carefully. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Wyatt had continued walking, once more oblivious to him.

Roger had followed him out past the Great Hall, out into the courtyard where the taller boy had slid down the wall, pulling his knees to his chest.

…

Wyatt's body was trembling.

He'd had the dream again last night.

 _Thirteen years old. Awkward and knobby, knees trembling and teeth clenched as he stood in the kitchen. There was so much red…_

 _The tablecloth on the kitchen table that had been their grandmother's._

 _The bowl of apples on the counter that were starting to go soft._

 _Mum's lipstick, a shade called 'Scarlet O'Hi-There'._

 _Dad's face as he shouted at her._

 _Jenna's sundress that they'd found at the secondhand shop._

 _The flashes of angry heat in his eyes._

 _The pool of blood on the linoleum._

 _The vase of bearded irises their neighbor Stephen had brought from his garden._

He'd woken up on the verge of screaming, already fumbling for the knife he'd kept tucked under his pillow since the start of fourth year.

He needed Jenna.

…

Jenna walked next to Dolores, careful not to appear too friendly. They chatted amicably, as though they'd just happened to take the same path to breakfast that morning. Dolores was… surprisingly good at pretending nothing was different, as though Jenna was just another student when, less than ten minutes ago, they'd been exchanging a few last, passionate kisses in her office.

Despite her calm demeanor, Jenna felt positively giddy. This woman was incredible! She was so kind, so loving, so positively perfect. It took an enormous amount of restraint for her to resist taking the older woman's hand and skipping down the corridor. Was this love? Real love?

As soon as Jenna saw Davies pacing anxiously outside of the Great Hall, though, her blood went cold. She recognized the expression on his face all too well.

Immediately, she quickened her steps, striding far ahead of Dolores and donning the no-nonsense persona that would no doubt serve her well in the Healing profession.

Davies had visibly relaxed when she drew closer.

"Jenna, I don't know what…"

"Where is he?" she asked briskly.

"Courtyard. Jenna, what…"

"I'll take care of him." She glanced back at Dolores, who was none too subtly watching them. "Distract her."

He nodded, his lips pressed tightly together.

Without another moment's hesitation, Jenna strode quickly out to the courtyard, not casting another glance back at Dolores or Davies. She needed to focus now. Wyatt needed her.

…

Wyatt stared straight ahead, trying to focus on the shapes of the courtyard through the red haze that was clouding his mind. He could feel rage coursing through his veins, rage that didn't belong there. He tried to force it down, tried to swallow it.

 _Just a flashback…_

 _It will pass…_

 _Stephen's irises in their vase._

 _The blood._

 _The soft apples on the counter._

 _The blood._

 _So much red…_

"Wyatt." Jenna's soft voice penetrated the cloud of red in his mind. "I'm here. You're safe."

He nodded, but didn't trust himself to speak. If he opened his mouth, he might vomit. He might scream.

 _Thirteen years old._

 _Gran's tablecloth._

 _Dad was shouting._

 _The blood._

 _Stephen's irises._

"I'm going to sit down next to you, Wyatt. Is that alright?"

Wyatt nodded again, and he felt Jenna sink down beside him.

"I'm going to put my arm around you, if that's okay." She said gently. He didn't respond. "Wyatt?"

He nodded.

Jenna's arm slid securely around his shoulders.

"You had the dream again." It wasn't a question. "You're having a flashback now, Wyatt. You're completely safe. Do you know where you are?"

He gave a shaky nod.

"Can you tell me where you are?"

"S-school." He could scarcely hear his own voice.

"Where at school are you, Wyatt?"

"The courtyard."

"Good, good. Now, just… breathe, alright? Deep breaths. Remember, it's just a flashback."

He nodded.

"Do you think you can stand up, Wyatt?"

The thought of getting to his feet sent a thrill of dread to his heart. He was safer down here.

He shook his head.

"Okay. Alright. We'll stay down here for a bit."

As Jenna continued to talk to him, he felt his muscles relaxing. The red haze began to fade away, and he managed to focus on his surroundings again. Bit by bit, he was returning to reality.

Once he was able to stand, they made their way back inside. People were already bustling to classes, so he and Jenna quickly fell in with the rest of the crowd as though they'd been there the entire time.

(AN: The next chapter goes somewhat into detail about a situation involving domestic abuse. If this may trigger something in you, skip the section that is italicized.)


	11. Chapter 11

(AN: As I said in the last chapter, this chapter goes somewhat into detail about a situation involving domestic abuse. If this may trigger you, skip the section that is italicized.)

Jenna knew it was only a matter of time before they'd have to face Davies again. He was going to ask questions. He was going to push and prod at them. What could they say?

Sure enough, Davies trailed after them to the library during their first study break, sitting wordlessly across from them at their table.

He looked at them expectantly.

"PTSD?" he asked after a moment. Wordlessly, Jenna nodded. "What was the trigger?"

"…Nightmare." Wyatt didn't look at him.

"What triggered the nightmare?"

"Why do you know anything about this?" Jenna stared at him.

Davies frowned.

"We all have brains, Jenna. We all have… personalities, minds, selves… It's not practiced much in our world, but that doesn't mean it's not acknowledged… How do you know about it, then?"

"…When… when things first started happening, we started reading a lot… researching."

"Why didn't you go to a specialist? They have Healers specially trained to deal with this sort of thing… Isn't that something you ought to know, Jenna?"

Jenna lowered her eyes, embarrassed.

"We _can't_ go to anyone."

"Why not? What… what happened?"

"We can't tell you, Davies." Wyatt kept his voice steady. "We can't."

"I want to help you two." Davies stared at them. "Please. I'm the Head Boy, for Circe's sake…"

"Precisely." Jenna didn't meet his eyes. "You're in a bad position to even know this much. Isn't it in the… guidelines or whatever that… if you know something's going on, you have to report it?"

"Well, yeah…"

"And as the Head Boy, you have to uphold those guidelines to the letter, to set the example for everyone else."

Davies was silent for a moment.

"Then… then, I'm not asking this as the Head Boy trying to solve an issue." He finally said. "I'm asking this as someone who considers himself your friend, even if you don't consider him yours. Anything you tell me… it won't leave this table. Please. Let me help."

"There's no way you can help with this, Davies… Roger." Wyatt shook his head. "It can't be undone."

"Maybe not, but… if you have two people to help you through this… I've studied this sort of thing, Wyatt."

"Why? You play Quidditch. Aren't you going into that professionally after this year?"

"…No. Quidditch is my big thing now, but… a career in that can end out of the blue if you get injured. I might continue to play just for fun, but I'm on the track for a Healer, as well. I have an apprenticeship lined up at a specialty clinic in Germany that deals specifically with psychological illness."

"…Oh."

"Which you'd know if you took the time to talk to me about things other than school." Davies sighed. "Look, I'm not going to force you to tell me. If you think, Jenna, that this is something that the two of you can handle on your own, then I'll step back. I won't ever mention it again. But… My grandfather fought in the first Wizarding War. He saw his friends murdered. He developed PTSD. That's why I began studying it in the first place. I wanted to understand, and I wanted to help. And… if you ever even think you might need help, I want you to know that you've got someone here."

The twins turned to each other, their conflicted expressions mirroring each other. After a moment, they both turned to Davies.

"If someone overhears…" Jenna began hesitantly.

"I fancy a walk, don't you?" Davies gave an exaggerated stretch. "Maybe go down to the Quidditch pitch for a bit?"

…

 _As far back as they could remember, Jenna and Wyatt's father had been a very angry, violent drunk. Abusive, cruel… Their mother had been on the receiving end of his rages for the entirety of their marriage, and by the time the twins had turned five, they were receiving it, too. The constant fear that their father would snap one day kept them all on edge._

 _It had been the summer after their third year at Hogwarts._

 _Their next-door neighbor Stephen was sitting at their kitchen table. Stephen was a Muggle and, while their father didn't care for him, the rest of the family found him wonderful. He was middle-aged and lived alone, and took great pride in maintaining the beautiful flower beds in his back yard. That was why he was there, actually; he'd brought over a vase of scarlet bearded irises, freshly cut from his garden, for their mother. She was six months pregnant, and he was always bringing little presents over to her to make her smile. He knew that their father wasn't the nicest man, but he didn't know about the abuse. He only heard the shouting._

 _Jenna was modeling the new, bright red sundress they had bought at a secondhand shop in town, spinning around like a dancer and marveling at the way the skirt twirled. Their father was at work, and the house was peaceful._

 _However, their father came home early._

 _He and Stephen had exchanged a few stiff words before Stephen reluctantly went home._

 _Their father had immediately started screaming, shoving Wyatt out of his way as he stormed towards his wife. He accused her of cheating on him, of sleeping with all of the men on their street. He called her horrible names, and then he had started shoving her, slapping her. She had stumbled backwards, landing on her bottom, and he started kicking her, aiming straight for her belly. He demanded to know who in the neighborhood had fathered the baby._

 _Without thinking, Jenna had run forward, begging him to stop. He had rounded on her, backhanding her across the face and calling her a stupid little freak, saying that she was going to turn out to be just another whore like her mother. He'd grabbed her by the hair and thrown her to the ground, then kicked her hard in the face, breaking her nose._

 _Wyatt had moved before he'd even realized it. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten the knife so quickly out of the drawer. He wasn't sure how he'd managed to drive it so hard through his father's neck that it protruded from the other side._

 _He'd stared down in confusion at his father's body as the man's blood had pooled onto the linoleum floor._

 _Jenna had dragged herself over to her mother, who was whimpering and clutching her stomach. Wyatt had run to the only person he could think of._

Stephen had buried their father's body under his peonies.

Wyatt had begun having the nightmares a few days after the burial, often waking up screaming and flailing, lashing out with his nails. He'd grown increasingly paranoid, convinced that he was going to be punished by some outside force for what he'd done. Stephen had briefly suggested consulting a specialist, but who could they trust? Any counselor would want to know about the cause, about what had traumatized him. That could get tricky. Wyatt had killed his father. Sure, it had been to protect his family, but would the law see it that way?

They began reading up on the condition themselves, developing their own amateur therapies. For the most part, things were almost normal. Wyatt had the occasional flashbacks, and the nightmares came and went, but they managed.

…

At dinner that night, Jenna tried to catch Dolores' eye at the High Table, but it was as if she was intentionally ignoring her. The older woman only looked at her once in passing after the meal, and the icy scowl she gave her made Jenna's stomach twist.

What had she done wrong?


	12. Chapter 12

_Saturday. September 21, 1995._

It had been nearly ten days, and Dolores still wouldn't so much as look at her. Jenna's stomach was in knots. She could barely force herself to eat or sleep. She spent every spare moment she had wracking her brain, trying to think of what she possibly could have done to anger her.

She had gone to Dolores' office every night hoping to speak to her, but she hadn't once answered the door. She sent letters to her every morning from the owlery.

Well… notes, really. Only a couple of lines long.

 _Dolly, I don't know what I did to upset you, but if you'll tell me, then I'll never do it again. I miss you so much, and I can't stand the thought of you hating me. Love, your Kitten_

 _Dolly, Will you please talk to me? I miss you terribly. I'm sorry for whatever I've done. Love, your Kitten_

 _Dolly, I can't eat. I can't sleep. Would you at least look at me?Love, your Kitten_

And so on.

Wyatt and Davies were both worried about her, but she just… couldn't pretend to be alright. What had she done?

Had it been because she didn't say goodbye?

Had Dolores heard Jenna ask Davies to distract her?

Had something else happened without her knowledge?

..

Wyatt watched his sister from the corner of his eye. They were in the library, their Transfiguration books open in front of them. However, Jenna had been staring at the same page for twenty minutes, her eyes unfocused. He knew where her mind was, what was at the forefront of her concern.

Umbridge.

Jenna hadn't heard from her in days, and it seemed like the woman was purposely ignoring her. Jenna could barely focus on her studies; the same dazed, distant expression graced her face no matter what class they were in. The notes she took, if any at all, were sparse and incredibly vague, whereas before she'd often used up at least half of an inkwell for each class. She barely responded if asked a question by a professor, saying only enough to get them to move on.

Wyatt knew that the other professors had noticed. Flitwick had begun purposely stopping by the library when they were there, under the pretense of checking how their preparation for N.E.W.T.s was going. McGonagall had had Wyatt stay after class and had asked him, blatantly, what was going on. (To which he'd responded, of course, that he had no idea.) Even Snape seemed to be somewhat concerned, if the slight frown that creased his forehead when he looked at her in class was anything to go by.

The only professor who didn't seem to care at all was Umbridge. Her eyes were almost cold when she looked at Jenna in class, if she looked at her at all. Although they still sat in the front, the professor seemed to address everyone but her when she spoke. Wyatt had seen Jenna trying to make eye contact with her countless times, but it seldom worked out, and even then Umbridge's gaze was blank.

Wyatt glanced at his watch. It was almost time for dinner. He knew Umbridge would be in her office right now. She had to be.

He looked at Jenna, who had finally turned to the next page in her textbook. He had to fix this. He had to get Umbridge to talk to her again. Even if he didn't like the woman very much, his sister seemed to genuinely love her.

He had to fix them.

"Jenna, I'm going to pop out for a bit." He said softly. "You going to dinner?" Vaguely, Jenna shook her head. "Okay. Well… I'll see you either here or in the common room, alright?" Jenna nodded.

"Kay."

Wyatt squeezed her shoulder as he packed up his things. He rose and, after planting a kiss on the top of her head, he marched off, determined.

..

" _Mr. Harper! What a surprise!"_

He'd learned his lesson the first time he'd had tea with her. He accepted gladly, but didn't "drink up" as she asked. He sat stiffly in the same quilted pink armchair as before, his throat dry.

He spent ten minutes explaining how upset Jenna was, how she was growing weaker by the day. Umbridge had listened impassively, her pale eyes fixed on his. He begged her to tell him what Jenna had done, or to at least tell Jenna.

She regarded him for a moment before sighing.

"It's no secret, I'm sure, that I'm…new to this whole thing." She said softly. "I'm sure Jenna told you."

"She… mentioned that you didn't have much experience…"

"Not… not just physically, Wyatt. I… I haven't… felt this way about someone before." Umbridge lowered her eyes. "Jenna is… Jenna is a fantastic young woman, Wyatt, and I feel that, perhaps, she could be the one I'm meant to be with."

Wyatt shifted awkwardly, suddenly extremely aware that he was talking to his sister's lover.

"Then… why are you pulling away from her like this?" he asked slowly. "She's going crazy, Professor. How could you not have noticed…"

"I did notice, Wyatt. I did. And it's been killing me. I suppose I… I was a bit offended. The morning that she and I had gone down to breakfast together, when she saw Mr. Davies waiting for her outside of the Great Hall, she ran to him without even a glance back at me. Like I was nothing. And then, when she finally did look at me, she said something to Mr. Davies before running off again to find you, and then he came over to me… I just knew she'd told him to distract me. She didn't… trust me enough to let me help her with… whatever was going on."

"It… it was my fault. I was having a bit of an issue, and Davies was fetching her for me..." Wyatt felt a bubble of guilt in his stomach. "I was having a bit of a panic attack, and she's typically the only one who can calm me down."

"But why not tell _me_ that? Why did she just run off?" Umbridge's lower lip trembled.

"It's… it's all very complicated, Professor. It's not something that we can just… tell everyone."

"But why _not_?"

Wyatt sighed.

"It's… entirely illegal, Professor. And… you're a Ministry worker. You couldn't possibly…"

"I wouldn't tell a soul, Wyatt! Not if it allowed me to help Jenna somehow."

Wyatt swallowed nervously. He didn't trust her. Not one bit. But Jenna loved her.

"It's about our father…"


	13. Chapter 13

(AN: Abuse warning. Not super-descriptive, but just a heads-up.)

 _Kitten,_

 _Come see me tonight._

 _Dolly_

Jenna stared down at the note in her hands, her heart pounding hopefully. She had been sitting next to Wyatt at supper, picking at her food, when an owl had casually dropped it by her plate without stopping. It was just a scrap of parchment, but it may as well have been written in gold.

Jenna looked up at the High Table, and found Dolores watching her. The older woman's lips curled upwards gently, and Jenna had to fight the urge to squeal.

After supper, she had raced to Dolores' office, giddy. She actually got there before Dolores, and was bouncing anxiously on her heels outside the door when the older woman had finally arrived.

Dolores had smiled softly, resting her hand on the small of Jenna's back as she let her into her office.

…

Wyatt had watched Jenna run off after supper, his stomach churning slightly. He had told Umbridge about their father. He had explained, somewhat, his condition. He had explained how Jenna helped him. She had been… surprisingly accepting of what he told her. She didn't ask questions. Her facial expression hadn't even changed. Once Wyatt had finished, she had smile and thanked him for telling her, and then she had let him leave.

That had put Wyatt on edge.

Any normal person would have had some sort of negative reaction to what he had told her. They would have asked questions. They would have at least expressed _some_ emotion. A Ministry official especially should have at least expressed some sort of discomfort at having this knowledge.

Umbridge had smiled. He had told her about murdering his father, and she had _smiled_ and thanked him.

The knot in Wyatt's stomach was tightening.

…

"You're such a good girl, Kitten." Dolores cooed.

Jenna was sitting on the couch, watching Dolores intently as she sat across from her.

"Wyatt's so lucky to have a sister like you." She continued. "He really cares about you."

"We've… we've been through a lot together." Jenna said softly.

"Oh, yes, I'm well aware. I had a very nice chat with your brother earlier today."

"…Did you?" Jenna frowned. Wyatt hadn't mentioned that.

"Indeed. He told me all about that nasty little incident with your father." Dolores smiled sweetly. "All of that over a vase of irises. Dearie me."

Jenna's blood went cold. She suddenly felt as though she might vomit.

"Dolores…" Her voice was barely audible.

"He told me all about your neighbor Stephen, too. How he helped conceal Wyatt's crime." Dolores tutted gently. "Nasty bit of business for a sweet little kitten to be involved in. You can imagine what a difficult position this is for me…"

"Please, Dolores…" Jenna's voice trembled.

"I _am_ obligated to report it." Dolores went on. "Such a heinous crime as murder shouldn't go unpunished, even if it _was_ deserved…"

"Please, Dolores, you can't…"

"Can't? Oh, darling, it's not simply a matter of can or can't. I simply _must_. I'd be blatantly ignoring my duty as Senior Undersecretary to the Minister."

"Dolores… _Dolly_ … please…" Jenna's chest tightened. "Wyatt would be taken away! Stephen would be taken away!"

"Yes, by the Muggle police." Dolores' lip curled slightly. "And you and your mother and your little sister would be left to fend for yourselves, unless the Ministry decided that you, too, should be taken away for being… privy to everything. Your little sister would, of course, be taken into the system and passed on to another family…"

" _Dolores_!" Tears sprang to Jenna's eyes. "Please…"

"Although, I suppose I could be convinced not to report it…"

"I'll do anything, Dolores! Please!"

Dolores smiled widely.

"Anything?" she simpered. "Would you?"

…

In the Ravenclaw common room, Wyatt was struggling to concentrate on his Charms homework, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Jenna. Was she okay? Was she happy?

"Oy." Davies dropped down next to him. "You good?"

"Yeah. Just…"

"Worried about Jenna?"

"Yeah."

Davies nodded casually, taking out his Charms book.

"The fuck are you doing?" Wyatt hissed.

"Studying. Same as you."

"But…."

"But what?"

"You don't… you never do that…"

"I never study with you? What about all of the times in the library?"

"Well, yeah, but… never here…"

"Well, I typically _can't_ study in here. It's usually too loud. It's not too bad tonight, though."

"You don't have to… I mean… just because I'm…"

"Just because you're what?" Davies' expression softened. "This isn't…" His voice lowered. "This isn't about your _condition_ , Wyatt. I've just found that I… enjoy studying with you. Same as I enjoy studying with Jenna."

"…Why?"

"Because you're pleasant, you're wicked smart when it comes to Charms, you're focused… you're not chatty, which is nice…" Davies shrugged.

"Oh. Er… thanks."

Davies nodded. Both boys continued on their Charms homework, not looking at each other.

…

Jenna walked alone down the corridor, her shoulder dragging heavily against the wall. She felt as though her bones had melted, and a dull throbbing came from the skin of her inner thigh.

She felt sick.

Those rumors about Dolores having a quill that cut you when you wrote with it… they'd been true. Dolores had made her write _Property of Dolores Jane Umbridge_ over and over on a piece of parchment, and the words had etched themselves onto the inside of her left thigh.

" _Somewhere only I will see it."_ That was how Dolores had put it.

Before the blood had even dried, Dolores had taken Jenna into her bedroom and pleasured her with the same spell she'd used before, leaving Jenna confused and… exhausted.

Afterwards, she'd sent Jenna on her way.

She felt her knees buckle underneath her, falling to the floor before she realized what was happening. Numbly, she knelt there for a moment, unable to find the strength to rise.

She deserved this. She deserved this pain.

She'd concealed something illegal, the most unforgiveable crime there was.

Dolores was right. Someone had to be punished for it, and it seemed that it was going to be her.

(AN: Sorry that updates are becoming less and less frequent. It's my final semester of undergrad and I'm not good with time management. Ugh I don't want to be an adult yet!)


End file.
